ABR member lead battery recyclers operate to some of the world’s most stringent environmental standards to ensure workplace and environmental health and safety (EHS). These recycling centers use technologically advanced equipment, processes and continuous monitoring to ensure environmental safety.
Millions of used batteries conclude their lifespan each year. When they do, the lead battery recycling industry collects and processes spent batteries, recovering valuable materials for reuse in new batteries.
+174M
RECYCLED ANNUALLY
The number of lead batteries recycled into raw material supply in the U.S. each year.
98%
RECYCLING RATE
Lead batteries have the highest collection and recycling rate of any consumer product in the U.S.
70%
U.S. LEAD DEMAND
The amount of U.S. lead demand supplied by domestic lead battery recycling.
Lead battery recycling plays an essential role in supporting a circular economy and maintaining a reliable domestic supply of lead and other materials for U.S. manufacturing. Responsible recycling also requires a strong commitment to environmental health and safety, supported by advanced technologies, rigorous operating practices and continuous monitoring..
Responsible lead battery recycling includes advanced technologies, monitoring systems and operating practices designed to protect employees, surrounding communities and the environment. Download this infographic.
FenceLine Air Monitors to Assure Community Protection
Pavement Cleaning Twice Daily
Process Water is Re-Used or Recycled, Treated, and Final Discharge Monitored
Periodic Stack Testing
Control Device Monitoring
Negative Pressure Enclosures to Contain Dust
High-Efficiency Air Filtration Systems to Control Particulate Emissions
Exhaust Scrubbers and Afterburners to Control Gaseous Emissions
Process Control Monitoring 24-7
Dedicated EHS Personnel
Comprehensive Employee Hygiene and Safety Protocols
Stormwater Collection to Capture Runoff
Vehicle Washing
Permanently stationed air monitoring systems are placed near the recycling center to regularly collect samples to confirm that ambient air surrounding the recycling center meets federal air quality standards. These samples are collected and analyzed for compliance with federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods and frequency. This standard limits lead content in air in the United States to an exceptionally small level, 0.15 micrograms-per-cubic-meter on a three-month average basis.
Environmental permits and the underlying federal standards for this industry call for regular testing of discharge stacks to verify ongoing compliance with state and federal requirements. Emissions of lead, for example, are set by the government at a level that provides an ample margin of safety to protect public health. Every recycling center regularly tests its exhaust gas to confirm that the federal standards are met. This testing is performed using EPA-approved methods and state air emission regulatory authorities are given notice of the testing to provide them an opportunity to observe the testing.
Potential gaseous emissions, which include substances like hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, are controlled by subjecting exhaust gases to high temperatures to break down and oxidize these materials. This is done either with devices called afterburners or by strategically blending already high-temperature gases from certain processes with cooler ones to achieve the federally-mandated level of performance. Many facilities may also employ exhaust scrubbers, large devices that spray treatment liquids through exhaust gases inside the treatment area, to further clean exhaust gases.
Before air is released from a battery recycling center, it is filtered to a very high degree using combinations of high-efficiency filtration systems to remove lead-bearing particulate dust. The most common device for this filtration is called a baghouse, which is just like it sounds – a large chamber filled with many bags which the air is drawn through, trapping particles in the bag and preventing them from being released to the atmosphere. Typically, secondary HEPA filters or other control devices are applied downstream of the primary baghouses to provide yet more protection for communities and the environment. Federal regulations specify a stringent limitation on any lead-bearing dust emissions and the filtration systems are designed to achieve these requirements with high confidence.
Recycling center process operations are fully enclosed in buildings that are fitted with large ventilation systems to keep them under negative pressure relative to the outside atmosphere. What that means is that these systems essentially pull air towards the buildings such that whenever a door for that building is opened, air rushes inward. Preventing air from flowing outward in this way minimizes the chances that lead dust will leave the buildings when doors are opened. Instead, the air will be captured by the ventilation systems that help maintain appropriate working conditions and then filtered with high-efficiency filters to remove virtually all particles before it is released.
Rainwater (stormwater) that falls on the active operational and paved areas of the recycling center is collected and either recycled and re-used in recycling center operations or treated and discharged subject to appropriate environmental standards. This beneficial reuse of collected water allows recycling facilities to sustainably reduce the amount of water supplied by local utilities.
Process wastewater, which is water used during the recycling process, is generally reused and recycled within the recycling center to the greatest extent possible. The remaining wastewater is treated at a dedicated plant at the recycling center to remove contaminants. Specific standards set by the government govern the degree of treatment and water quality that must be achieved by facilities before water is discharged from the recycling plant. Facilities monitor and test their discharges to ensure compliance with those federal standards. That treated water is then typically discharged to local municipal wastewater treatment plants for further treatment prior to release.
Mobile plant equipment like front-end loaders and forklifts have their wheels and other parts of the equipment washed before leaving the recycling center building. This washing minimizes the potential for tracking dust onto the outside pavement.
Exterior pavement in active plant areas is routinely cleaned to minimize the potential for dust and capture particles that may be tracked out of buildings.
Battery recycling facilities are complex operations that typically operate around the clock. Comprehensive data systems, cameras, and process control information are monitored in continuously staffed control rooms with experienced process supervisors. These personnel are trained in all of the environmental performance monitoring and key parameters to be able to promptly respond to any issues.
Recycling center emission control devices, most often in the form of large filters called “baghouses,” are fitted with continuously-operated devices called “bag leak detection systems” to assure ongoing effective performance. These detection systems sense particles (dust) and provide immediate indication should a filter fail or develop a leak.
Environmental health and safety is an integral part of lead battery recycling operations. Recycling facilities employ trained professionals dedicated to environmental protection and worker health and safety. These employees help ensure environmental control systems operate properly, appropriate operating procedures are followed, required monitoring and testing are performed, and employees receive the training needed to work safely.
Across the industry, approximately 14% of employees serve in on-site environmental health and safety roles, reflecting the significant resources dedicated to responsible operations.
The safety of workers in the battery recycling industry is tightly regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The industry has worked collaboratively with OSHA over many decades to develop and implement sound guidance to recycling center operators and employees. Moreover, the battery recycling industry has adopted voluntary measures that are more protective than OSHA standards.
Detailed protocols are implemented to address exposure in the workplace, including regular medical monitoring for plant workers. Workers are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment for their jobs. Worker locker rooms, showers, and uniform facilities have been developed to minimize the potential for lead to leave the workplace as well. OSHA provides very informative information through its “e-tool” for this industry.
Responsible recycling requires sustained investment in people, technology, equipment and operating practices. Approximately 30% of lead battery recyclers’ annual operating budgets are dedicated to environmental health and safety, demonstrating the industry’s ongoing commitment to protecting employees, surrounding communities and the environment.
